People rely on disposable absorbent garments in their everyday lives, including such garments as adult incontinence products, enuresis pants, training pants, and diapers. In certain cases, it is desirable that garments are refastenable about the wearer. For example, underwear-style garments, such as disposable incontinence underwear or toileting training pants, include refastenable fastening systems. For instance, in certain circumstances, it might be more convenient to remove and replace a donned garment when there is a desire not to have to remove the wearer's clothing and shoes.
With certain refastenable garments, such as adult incontinence underwear and enuresis pants, it is important that the garments look and feel as much as possible like “regular” underwear to promote an improved sense of normalcy to the wearer who suffers from incontinence or enuresis. Accordingly, there is a desire in certain cases to incorporate fastening systems in garments in such a way that the fastening system is relatively discreet in order to make the garment more like “regular” cloth underwear. One possible approach is to provide at least one garment-like, refastenable seam, provided by one or more strips of mechanical fastening material, such as a hook-and-loop style fastener. However, one potential drawback to such designs is that a garment-like refastenable seam may be difficult to detect and difficult to manipulate by the user of the product. In particular embodiments, when a fastener which lies relatively close to an edge of the base substrate to which it is applied, it can in some cases be difficult to locate the edge of the refastenable seam, and, once located, it can in some cases be difficult to grasp the edge of the refastenable seam so as to disengage the seam to allow the product to be opened and inspected or removed.
It is also frequently desirable to incorporate elastomeric materials in disposable absorbent garments to enhance fit and performance. What is needed is a refastenable disposable absorbent garment having elastomeric properties, and having a refastenable seam or fastening portion that is garment-like yet easy to see and/or easy to grasp. Further, a method of making such a garment is also needed.